


Even Robots Hurt

by Kit_Kat101



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Richard Paul isn't very nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-03 11:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_Kat101/pseuds/Kit_Kat101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard Paul made it clear that he doesn't like Dorian or John. Either jealous or angry or both remains to be seen. But, as John surmises, it gives him no right to hurt Dorian. Hey, even robots, however different they are from humans, hurt too. But Richard doesn't stop at just Dorian however...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even Robots Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> I always wondered what it would be like if the roles were reversed. Instead of Dorian taking care of John, it's the other way around. I hope it's not too weird. Plus, John always liked to hide the fact that he is hurt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_**Even Robots Hurt** _

_**  
**_It was supposed to be something routine, you know, one of those teamwork exercises to make sure we trust each other and have each other's back. But some people take these things way to seriously. John and Dorian already showed that they can work together fine. It was the others that made it difficult. Especially Richard, John wanted to smack that look off his face everyday at work. But someone had always stopped him in time. A good thing really, seeing as the only thing he had left was his job. The exercise was out in a place full of warehouses, where, ironically for all of them, is where most of their work is stationed anyways. They all had fake guns on them. No use in killing someone who worked with them. Not really fake guns, paintball guns really. Dorian's color was blue(go figure, his eyes were the same), Valerie's was yellow, Richard's was black, Sandra's was white, John's was red, and Rudy's was purple. There were more people coming later, seeing as Sandra didn't want to push her luck with Richard and john already at each other's throats since the beginning. They were squared off in pairs when they got their armor on, goggles, and ear pieces. I don't care what anyone else thinks, paintballs, when they hit you, hurt like hell. Even with the armor on. John and Dorian together, Valerie and Sandra together, and Richard was squared off with Rudy. Rudy didn't want to come(go figure, couldn't blame him), but seeing as someone might be hurt, he was the only one who actually had some medical training, well, more so then the others. Seeing as if Dorian or John got hurt, he would be more equipped to help them then the others would.

They all split up into different areas. John shaking his head as he watched Rudy disappear from around the corner.

"What's wrong?" Dorian asked, John turned and looked at him as he hunched down on a barrel, waiting for the whistle to blow to start to exercise.

"Nothing's wrong. I know Rudy can't handle himself." he said. Rudy had gone undercover and had come on with a bullet in his arm and a lot of blood loss. Rudy and him were friends to an extent. So it worried him that he was doing this exercise so soon after his arm was out of the sling.

"He'll be fine. His arm is healed enough to warrant the exercise. If it wasn't, he wouldn 't be here." Dorian said softly, John would have made a smart retort, but the whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the exercise. John and Dorian looked at one another and got up slowly. The reason they all went in different directions before the whistle blew was to have to element of surprise. No one would know where anyone was or who was going to pop out of nowhere. John slowed when he got near a corner, looking around it after not hearing anything. No one, so far so good. It actually took a good five minutes before they met someone. A paintball wizzed by John's head. Yellow: Valerie. John ducked and Dorian dove behind a barrel to avoid being hit. John popped up when she was distracted by Dorian and almost got hit himself with a paintball, nearly missing him. But his aim was true, and he got Valerie. Valerie groaned and laughed, waving to them and walking off. But John wanted to ask her something first.

"Is anyone else out?" he asked. Valerie turned and held up a finger, one other person.

"Rudy." she said. John grunted out a laugh, go figure that Rudy wouldn't last five minutes. That just left Sandra and Richard.

It proved to be more difficult then even Dorian thought. Sandra had good aim, as did Richard. And they both ran like hell was on their heels if they so required it. After about a good half hour just trying to get these two, John hunched over, breathing heavily from all the running. His leg was not taking kindly to this either. Dorian must have realized this.

"You want me to go in front?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. Just a twinge." John lied.

"John." Dorian said in that tone he knew all too well that Dorian knew he was lying.

"I said I'm fine." John snapped, Dorian didn't say anything more. Just sighed and nodded. John stood back up and continued on. It was another fifteen minutes before another paintball firefight broke out. Dorian and John got seperated, John had Sandra and Dorian had Richard. It was a complex firing of colors, but after all of it. Sandra ended up losing to John, but just barely. She chuckled and shook her head and John looked to where he had last seen Dorian and Richard. Dorian had come out of his hiding place, holding in a grin, though barely. John looked to where Richard was and smothered a laugh himself. He walked towards Dorian, smirking.

"What, were you trigger happy or something?" he asked quietly. Richard had paint splatters all over him. Richard looked like a half smurf basically, which is why John found it so hilarious. Richard however, didn't think so. He strode forward to the both of them.

"What are you smirking at Kennex?" he asked, snarling.

"I'm smirking because my partner beat you." John said, trying to keep his face neutral.

"That sack of bolts cheated. All the same pieces of garbage do." Richard said. John didn't have to look at him to know that what Richard said hurt Dorian deeply.

"How do you cheat in freaking paintball?" John asked, huffing in annoyance, getting in front of Dorian in an almost protective manner. Something Dorian was surprised about. No one insults John's partner and gets way with it. 

"Let me through Kennex." Richard growled.

"I'm not going to let you disrespect my partner." John said.

"He isn't a partner. He's a flawed bag of bolts." Richard said, John pushed him roughly.

"Say that again, I dare you." John growled.

"John." Dorian and Sandra said. Apparently Sandra had been watching said exchange. Great, like he needed his boss to see him get angry with one of his co-workers. Never mind it was one he absolutely despised.

He looked at Sandra, putting his hands up to show he wasn't going to do anything more. Not that he was holding his breath at all. He looked at Dorian, eyes locking with his.

"You all right Dorian? Don't pay attention to what this ass is saying." he said pointing in Richard's general direction. Maybe he should have turned. Dorian's eyes grew wide, John didn't have time to question it because he felt something slam down on his synthetic leg. John grimaced and fell to the ground in a heap, clutching his leg. Dorian got in front of John, blue eyes sparking in anger.

"You didn't have to do that." Dorian said. They were ignoring Sandra's orders to stop. Not like Richard was going to stop anyways, the sore loser.

"John had it coming to him the moment he stepped foot back in. Thinks he's all superior and shit." Richard said, sneering down at John, who had gotten back up, despite the pain.

Dorian sidestepped so he was now fully in front of John, who scowled.

"Hey, I'm fine." he said, his voice said otherwise, but Dorian wasn't going to comment. Not that he could, because at that moment, since Richard couldn't get to John at all, he punched Dorian, hard enough for him to stumble. John caught him, trying not to grimace as most of the pressure was set on his bad leg. He could tell Dorian was dazed though. He heard footsteps, rather hurried and Richard was wrapped around by several arms. John looked, Rudy, Valerie and Sandra all were holding Richard back, glaring at him.

"Walk away Richard." Valerie said in a don't-mess-with-me tone. Sandra looked at John, who was still holding onto a dazed Dorian. Wait, do DRN's even get dazed? Well, they were to be human as possible. So probably. 

"Take care of your partner John. I'll see you back at the office in a few days." she said. John nodded, not wanting to argue. He watched Richard get pulled backwards a good deal before he helped Dorian to his car and drove off. Once back at his apartment, he helped Dorian sit. He seemed to be coming back to awareness now. John knelt down in front of Dorian to meet his gaze.

"Dorian." he said softly. Dorian's eyes latched onto his, no longer dazed. John breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't do that again...ever. You nearly gave me a heartattack." he said softly. Dorian blinked at him, saying nothing for a moment.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"It's fine. At least you're okay." John huffed. They were quiet for a moment, John trying to take his mind off the pain in his leg.

"Do you think I'm a piece of garbage?" Dorian asked, eyes to the floor. John's head whipped around so fast that he knew he was going to have whiplash. Damn, he was going to get Richard when he returned to the office. He rushed forward as fast as his leg and his snythetic leg allowed, kneeling in front of Dorian once more.

"Don't you ever think about that! Or say it again! Richard doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. If he could just see you in a real life situation, he wouldn't be able to say those things. You are not garbage! You are my partner and I'm glad to have you!" he said furiously. 

Dorian blinked up at him in a show of surprise. Much better then that hurt look from earlier.

"Thank you John." he said softly. John huffed, waving away the thanks.

"Don't mention it." he said getting up. But the pressure was too much and his snythetic leg gave out on him. Dorian caught him, a concerned look on his face.

"I knew you were lying." Dorian said helping him to the couch and setting him down. John looked away. He didn't like having the fact that he was weak all the time, especially now.

"You need to give yourself more credit." Dorian said. John blinked and looked down at him, Dorian continued.

"You have been through something terrible that most people would never have survived or gone through. You survived, you are here and you are alive. You need to give yourself more credit. You are strong, whether you believe me or not, you ARE strong." he said softly. After his leg was fixed(Dorian had to do a lot of guessing to do so), they sat together in silence, knowing they had each other's backs. A couple of days later, once back in the office. John approached Richard and before he could say anything, took out a spare paintball from his gun and smashed it all over Richard's favorite tie. Richard yelled and sputtered in protest. John glared at him and all he said was this:

"Mess with my friend again, and you will wish paint was the only thing on that favorite tie of yours." he said, walking away. Dorian had been standing there and watching. And if he gave an indictation that he saw and heard everything, he didn't show it. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. Read and comment, this is my first fanfic on here. Criticism, be it nice or not, is always welcomed. It makes me a better writer after all. And if you think I should add more or not, let me know.


End file.
